Thousands of Bahrainis march against regime

Manama: Thousands demonstrators on Saturday
marched in Manama to demand the Sunni ruling regime stand
down, upping pressure on the government one day after tens of
thousands flooded the streets.

"Leave Hamad, leave Hamad" and "Down Hamad, down
Hamad," chanted the flag-waving demonstrators as they poured
out of Pearl Square, epicentre of the protests which began on
February 14.

"The people want to topple the regime," they roared as
they formed a procession towards a major highway, blocking
traffic.
Manama`s Pearl Square has been transformed into a
makeshift camp where protesters have kept daily kept vigil in
hundreds of tents.

Official opposition groups have stopped short of
demanding outright regime change, instead calling for major
reforms, including an elected prime minister and the creation
of a "real" constitutional monarchy.
Seven people were killed last week in a police raid on
a protests against the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, which has
ruled for some 200 years in the majority Shiite kingdom.